Former Karnataka IPS officer Bhaskar Rao on Monday joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the presence of the New Delhi Chief Minister and National Convener Arvind Kejriwal. Rao, a 1990 batch IPS officer known for his people-friendly approach, had applied for voluntary retirement and submitted his resignation in September 2021. His resignation was accepted after a long gap recently. He was appointed as the Bengaluru Police Commissioner when the ruling BJP took over from the former Congress-JD (S) coalition government in 2019. Though, rumours were rife about him joining the BJP, Rao's decision came as a surprise for manu. When he was serving as Bengaluru Police Commissioner, he faced a tough situation as then Deputy Chief Minister C. Ashwath Narayan objected to his style of functioning.
During his tenure as a Police Commissioner, Rao waged a battle against rampant drug racket in the city. Continuous raids were conducted and many high profile celebrities were taken into custody. He was the first commissioner who spoke openly about rampant drug trafficking in Bengaluru. Rao is expected to contest from the Basavanagudi Assembly constituency in Bengaluru, considered as the strong ground of BJP. His entry will also benefit the party during Civic polls of Bengaluru, which will be held sooner. AAP state President Prithwi Reddy has also hinted about major personalities and leaders from the state joining the party.